The History of Mazatlan

A Brief History of Mazatlan,
Mexico

The word Mazatlán means 'place
of deer' in the
pre-Hispanic language of
Náhuatl.
Originally occupied by the
Totorames, the area
was then settled by a group
of 25 Spaniards led by Nuño
de Guzmán on Easter Sunday
in 1531. In the
1820's, the settlement was
officially formed as a
Spanish colony and for
nearly 80 years, Mazatlan
remained little more than a
quaint fishing village.

The area known as Old
Mazatlan actually dates
back to the 19th century
while the majority of the
city has become modernized
to accommodate the many
tourists that have been
arriving since the 1930's.
Playa Olas Altas is
recognized as Mazatlan's
first tourist beach, with
hotels arising in the area
as early as the 1950's.
In recent year's, Mazatlan
has continued to grow and
earn a reputation as one of
Mexico's highly preferred
beach vacation destinations.